Stoned but Smart

Irked by Bill O'Reilly's jabs at the "stoned slackers" who watch The Daily Show, Comedy Central cites data indicating that Jon Stewart's fans are better-educated (and, by implication, smarter) than O'Reilly's. When Stewart appeared on The O'Reilly Factor, the Anti-Spinner remarked: "You know what's really frightening? You actually have an influence on this presidential election. That is scary, but it's true. You've got stoned slackers watching your dopey show every night and they can vote."

Stewart, who reportedly was taken aback (I didn't see the interview), himself often makes similar jokes about his audience, but I guess it's different when an outsider says it. Or maybe it was the way O'Reilly said it.

Stewart subsequently recovered his sense of humor. "This election is going to rely on the undecided," he told an A.P. reporter. "And who is more undecided than stoned slackers? Ice cream or pretzels? Ice cream or pretzels? What's it going to be?"

[Thanks to Jeff Patterson for the link.]